Saving The Important
by PersonifiedKat
Summary: Abby is finally re-commissioned after nearly 5 years. After being sent on a mission to find Hoagie and re-commission him, she finds herself fighting to save what's left of her friend from the sinister evil that is trying to destroy everything she loves and cares for. Will they succeed? Or will they simply fall deeper into the destruction? First 2x5 fic, and will include 3x4 & 1x362
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! This is my first 2x5 fic, and I hope it turns out okay. I'm sure you all know I'm working on a lot of other stuff, so it may take me some time to update this one. **

**Please review this, so I can tell if I should keep writing this…**

**Thanks!**

**-Kat**

**Disclaimer- I do not own KND!**

Chapter one

I had just arrived at my house when my phone rang. I groaned a little, for it had already been a long day.

"Hello?" I answered, giving in.

"Numbuh 5?"

"Oh hey numbuh one" I said flatly.

"Still absorbing everything?"

"Yeah, you could say that, after all it is a lot to absorb," I continued.

"I know how you feel," he said sympathetically.

"Yeah, I guess you would" I chuckled. Yesterday had been a rough one too, probably worse in some ways. Having only just been re-commissioned after nearly 5 years, the memories of my childhood that I had longed for were confusing.

"Well, it'll get better soon, but right now we need to work on getting the others back too," He stated.

"Yeah, I know. So what's the plan then, boss?" I asked my former/ current sector leader.

"Well… I think you should track down Hoagie first… I know he's far away from you and all, since you're in France, but he'd probably respond best to you right now…" he suggested. I couldn't say I was disappointed. Hoagie and I had become very close even after the decommissioning, at least… before I had moved away with my family. I wanted to see him again, for it had been years, but I felt like there was something numbuh 1, or Nigel, wasn't telling me.

"What do you mean 'right now'?" I questioned. There was a long pause before he finally spoke.

"It's a long story, and I think he should be the one to tell it… good luck!" was all he said before he hung up. I sighed. _Yet another thing to add to my to-do list_, I thought. Though I was annoyed that I had to find him, I was actually excited at the idea of seeing Hoagie again. I missed him a lot after I was forced to leave Cleveland and move to Paris with my parents. We used to keep in touch, and had kept our relationship strong like iron, that is, up until one day when he stopped answering my phone calls, e-mails and even letters. I still didn't know what happened, but it had both worried me and hurt me at the time. So part of me was grateful to Nigel for suggesting that I be the one to find him and get his butt up to moon base so we could re-commission him, like what Nigel had done for me. I ran up to my parents first thing and they told me that I was perfectly allowed to fly back to Cleveland so long as I paid my own way. Naturally, being the diligent saver that I was, money was hardly an object. I bought my ticket the next day, and prepared myself for the flight that would occur on the weekend.

00000

"Bye mama! Bye Daddy!" I yelled as I ran to catch the taxi that would take me to the airport.

"Have fun sweet heart!" They replied simultaneously. I jumped into the cab and handed him a wad of cash.

"To the airport and step on it," I ordered, hoping with all my might that the driver spoke good English.

"Pas de problem, Mademoiselle," he responded cheerfully, then we drove off.

000000

The plane ride was surprisingly quick. I stretched out my back then quickly exited the plane to grab my stuff. Once all of my luggage was accounted for, I hailed a taxi, and gave the driver the directions to my hotel. If you're wondering why I seemed to know exactly what I was doing, this hadn't been the first time I had gone to Cleveland on my own. I had come one year to see Kuki, whom I had also reacquainted myself with after decommissioning, and whom had become, yet again, one of my best friends. When the driver dropped me off, I checked in, then headed for my room. It was quaint, but cozy and pleasant, which was part of why I came to that hotel instead of another. I had more than enough money to go somewhere fancier, but I really just didn't want to. I liked the modest lifestyle that I had always led, and that I planned to keep leading. I sat myself down on the bed and pulled out my laptop. I decided that I should probably look Hoagie up to make sure he still lived where I remembered him living. I pulled up the search engine and typed in his full name: Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr. Not much popped up, so I just clicked on the first thing I saw. Numbuh 1's words were still fresh in my mind. _What story does Hoagie have that numbuh 1 shouldn't tell me? _I wondered, as the page loaded. When it finally did, I read a little of the article, then stopped as abruptly as I had started.

Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr. is wanted by the SOAACR for suspected hacking. He must be brought in for questioning ASAP. If he is to be found, we ask that you call this number…

Was all I read before shutting down my computer and sitting back in my chair in bewilderment. Hoagie? Wanted? Yeah he's a techno genius, but he would never do anything illegal… would he? I stared at the black screen for a long time, absorbing what I had just read. And who are the SOAACR anyway? Some kind of secret government society? It was driving me insane. How much have I missed? How much has he changed? I shook myself out of my trance and decided I should probably get some sleep, after all, I could ask Hoagie about everything the next day. I settled myself down in my bed, but I couldn't stop wondering about everything. Nigel's secrecy, Hoagie's ending our communications all those years ago, the SOAACR. Were they all connected? I didn't know, but I wanted to find out. I ended up thinking myself to sleep, endless questions flooding my mind.

00000

I woke up and didn't hesitate for a second. I jumped out of bed and ran into the shower, eager to get my questions answered. Once I was dressed and ready to go, I pulled out my phone and called numbuh 1.

"Hello?"

"Hey numbuh 1, It's me numbuh 5" I said.

"Oh hey Abby, you heading out to see Hoagie?"

"Yeah, I need to get him to answer some questions," I continued.

"Just… be warned… you're not going to like what you see," was all he said, yet again, before he hung up. I shook it off. I couldn't let myself think it through too much right now. I dialled another phone number and smiled at the cheerful voice that rung through the phone.

"Hello, this is the Gilligan house, how may I help you?" said Hoagie's mother pleasantly.

"Hey Mrs. Gilligan, this is Abby, one of Hoagie's old friends," I said

"Oh hello Abby dear, it's been so long," she said sweetly.

"I know," I sighed, but continued, "I was wondering if it would be okay if I dropped by and saw Hoagie?"

"Oh Abby dear, I'm sure he would love that!" she exclaimed and I could practically feel her smiling through the phone, "he's been a little down in the dumps lately, but I'm sure you could help him out,"

"Thanks Mrs. Gilligan, I'll see you soon,"

"No problem sweetie!" she replied cheerfully before hanging up the phone. I smiled. I had always had a soft spot for the plump, smiling women, probably because she reminded her a lot of her friend Kuki. She also was so sweet and loving to Hoagie, that it made me happy to see him smile whenever his mother was around. I still wasn't sure why, but Hoagie's smile had always been my favourite. Maybe it was the childish humour that clung to his eyes, or maybe it was the way his eyebrows would arch… it didn't really matter why, I just loved it. Thinking about him sometimes gave me a funny feeling, and the idea of seeing him again only intensified it. He had been my closest friend during my early teen years, before I moved away, despite our differences. He was a genius, and a bit of a geek too; playing video games for hours straight was definitely one of his pass times back then. I was also fairly smart, but no match for him, yet I was always calm and collected, while he was always being goofy, and laughing at his own terrible jokes. I felt myself smile whenever I thought of his goofy laugh.

00000

It was around noon when I decided I couldn't wait anymore. I got up off of my bed and quickly walked out the door. I didn't plan on taking a taxi; his house wasn't far and it was really nice out. I walked for about five minutes before I came across his house. I smiled as memories of our childhood ran around in my head, and I had never been more thankful to Nigel for re-commissioning me. It had been horrible not knowing what had occurred during the long since forgotten events of my childhood, that feeling of emptiness that had settled in my stomach since the day I turned thirteen, was the worst feeling I had ever been forced to deal with. With my memories returned to me, that feeling of emptiness dissipated, leaving not even a scrap of sorrow behind. I wanted to ease the same pain off of Hoagie's shoulders, knowing that for him, it must have been the worst. Being the curious and all knowing boy he was, the thought of not being able to explain something, such as the odd loss of all of our memories, must have tortured him thoroughly. I stepped up to the door of the old house and quickly rang the doorbell. It wasn't long before a plump, grinning woman made her way toward me and swung open the door.

"Abby dear, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed. I grinned happily back.

"It's good to see you too Mrs. Gilligan," I said as she lead me inside.

"You're just in time, my homemade cookies just came out of the oven, would you like one," she asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question.

"You know Abby would love one," I said winking.

"Your sweet tooth hasn't changed a bit I take it?" I smiled and nodded.

"Chocolate always wins," she laughed a cheerful giggle before offering me a tray of steaming sweetness. I grabbed the largest one I could find and took a small bite.

"You haven't lost your touch!" I exclaimed at the marvellous taste of the cookie.

"Like you actually thought I would," she said with an all-knowing smile. I finished up the rest of my treat, and brushed off my hands.

"So where's Hoagie?" I asked, trying to act cool, but I was elated with excitement.

"Oh… He's up in his room, go right ahead up, you know the way," she said with a final cheery smile before I nodded and headed towards the stairs. I had been in his room many a time before, so I knew it like the back of my hand. As I headed up the stairs and turned down the hallway, I stopped in front of his door. I took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothin'" I mumbled to myself, before reaching for the knob.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, this is the second part. I hope you all like it. **

**Please review and tell me what you think of it so far **

**-Kat**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the KND!**

I turned the handle and entered the room.

"Hoagie?" I said quietly. As I walked farther into the room, and my eyesight adjusted to the dim light, I started to notice the change in the room I had once recognised so easily. The walls that had once been covered in blue prints and plane posters were now bare, covered only by the torn corners that proved they had been hastily torn off. All the small models of his inventions and prototypes that I had remembered were nowhere to be seen. As my eyes scanned the room, they fell on a mop of familiar, shaggy auburn hair. Hoagie was sitting at his desk, his back hunched and he was hastily sketching something on a piece of paper. I could see by the band that stretched across the back of his head, that he still wore his signature goggles, which made me smile. His clothing had not changed too much since I had left, either. He still wore an open blue dress shirt over a white tank, with his baggy kakis and his favourite black and white converse. Despite the lack of change in his clothing, I felt as though something about him seemed… different… The way he was slumped at his desk, the alarmingly pale colour of his hand in the light of his dim lamp, and the desperation with which he worked simply proved that something was wrong. After a few minutes, it had become obvious that he hadn't noticed me enter the room, so I quietly wandered a little closer. I got a closer look at him, and I could see that his hand was in fact incredibly pale, as were the rest of his arm and any other exposed skin. He still hadn't noticed me, so I walked up until I was standing next to him. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and he stopped his pencil abruptly. I felt his body tense up under my hand, but did not remove it.

"Hoagie?" I asked again, a little louder than before. He slowly lifted his gaze from the paper in front of him, until his eyes were staring up into mine. I nearly jumped when they did, for the sight of his face was shocking. His complexion was startlingly pale, almost transparent. Dark bags from stress and lack of sleep circled his eyes… His blue eyes… the ones that used to be so vibrant and excited were now glazed; the sparkle they had possessed, muffled. As I looked at him, his eyes widened and he stood up abruptly. He started backing away, as though he was afraid.

"Abby? Is that you?" It seemed as though he had started to shake, and my concern for him deepened.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to smile reassuringly. His hands shot up to his hair, pulling at it and the trembling became more pronounced.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You shouldn't be here…" he was still backing away, and I started to approach him again.

"Hoagie, what's wrong with ya, babeh?" I asked. I was really worried.

"You shouldn't be here…" he repeated as he tripped over a book that was lying half-hazardly on the floor, "They'll get you!"

"Who'll get Abby?" I asked, still trying to get close to him, "Hoagie… What happened to ya?" At this he looked up, his shaking stopped for a moment.

"With any luck, you'll never have to know," he said, leaving me even more confused. I was about to speak again when he stopped, and held up a hand. I stood there in stunned bewilderment, as he seemed to be listening for something. He ran to the window and I followed. He opened the drapes, letting in the light, and peered out. I looked over his shoulder and saw a large black SUV park itself on the other side of the street, directly across from Hoagie's window. We watched as a tall man in a dark suit stepped out of the vehicle. He straightened up and seemed to be looking up at us.

"Dammit!" exclaimed Hoagie, closing the curtains, pushing me aside and running back to his desk. He pulled on a draw and took out a remote. After pressing what seemed like a hundred tiny buttons with practised speed, his desk transformed, revealing a series of computers and machines that had previously been hidden from sight. He sat down and started typing furiously. After a manner of seconds, another keyboard appeared from the wall, and after pressing another series of buttons on the remote, the other computers disappeared. He ran over to the keyboard and, again, started typing at a blinding pace. A whole in the wall presented itself, and he pulled out what looked like dozens of blueprints and plans. He went back to the keyboard, and the hole in the wall disappeared as a hole in the floor opened up. I finally found my tong.

"Hoagie, what in the world is goin' on!?" I demanded. He didn't look up at me. He ran over to the hole and gently tossed the blueprints down.

"It's a long story, and we don't have time right now. We need to get out of here!" he exclaimed. He ran back to the remote and entered yet another code. The door to his room slammed shut, and I heard the clicking sound of dozens of locks snapping shut. He quickly pushed the keyboard back into the wall, and it disappeared from sight. I was still stuck to my spot, stunned and confused. He ran over to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the hole in the floor. As we neared the cavity in the floor, I started to regain my ability to think.

"What are you doin'?" I asked pulling away.

"We need to go, come on!" He tried to grab me again, but I dodged.

"Abby ain't goin' down there!" I exclaimed, but he simply grabbed me and kept pulling, his grip like iron. As he did so, I caught sight of a thin red line that crossed his wrist. I gasped, and pulled his hand closer to study it better.

"Hoagie! What on earth is this!?" I demanded pointing at his wrist. He grimaced, and turned away.

"I promise I'll explain everything… just know that it isn't what it looks like! Right now we have to go before they find you!" once close enough to the hole, he let go and jumped down into the blackness.

"Hoagie!" I screamed after him.

"I'm fine!" he called up, "your turn!"

"Abby ain't jumpin' down there!" I hissed.

"Don't worry! I'll catch you, come on! We don't have time to argue!"

"Abby can't even see ya!" I yelled, "How are ya supposed to catch her?" I demanded.

"I can see _you_! Now jump before they-" He was interrupted by banging on his bedroom door. I groaned and turned my attention back to the hole before me.

"If Abby dies, it's on your head, Hoags!" I yelled, before stepping into the hole.

00000

I had to stifle my scream as I fell into the darkness. I felt the air blowing past me as I tumbled down. I clutched my head, preparing myself for landing but, to my surprise, I never heard the sound of my body hitting the floor. I felt a set of thin yet toned arms pull me from the air and gently stop my fall. He didn't waver as he took on my full weight in his arms. I was surprised by his strength, considering how frail he had appeared. Before I could stop the thumping of my heart in my chest, he slid me into what felt like a chair and then he himself sat down. I heard the hum of an engine and felt the vibrations as my surroundings lit up. I squinted at first from the sudden change in light.

"Buckle up!" he ordered. I looked around and realised that we were in some kind of car. I glanced up and saw the ceiling of the vehicle closing above us, and the hole from which we had fallen disappeared. Once I buckled myself in, Hoagie slammed his foot down on a pedal and we began speeding through what seemed to be a tunnel. In a manner of seconds, I saw a small speck of light in the distance, and as we neared, it grew larger. We sped through the hole and were launched out onto the pavement. I was clutching tightly to the armrests of my seat, and Hoagie steered a hard right before he continued speeding down the street.

"You're going to kill someone!" I yelled.

"No I'm not," he stated, before pulling yet another rough turn, "I've done this a thousand times,"

"What? This is normal for ya?" I was both curious and frustrated.

"You could say that… though it has been a while," his eyes were intently stuck to the road in front of him as he spoke. He steered abruptly again, and we found ourselves barrelling down a dirt road I didn't recognise.

"Would ya at least tell Abby where ya are takin' her!?" I demanded, slightly annoyed by this whole, strange situation.

"You'll see, it won't take too long." I watched him as he grabbed what looked like a regular gear shifter, but when he jerked it forward, I was pushed back in my seat. I turned my head and saw the line of trees outside blur, as our speed accelerated past what I thought was possible. After merely a few minutes, he slowed the vehicle down all the way to a stop. I was both slightly bewildered and slightly amazed. I turned my attention back to him, and saw him leaning his forehead on the steering wheel and breathing deeply. I was almost afraid that he might start to hyperventilate. I just sat there staring at him. He started to tremble again, and I put my hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't have come…" he repeated, keeping his eyes hidden beneath his bangs.

"Hoagie… What happened to ya?" I asked for what felt like the one-hundredth time, though it had really only been the second or third. He let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his seat, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his pale fingers. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke.

"It's a long, and very… _unpleasant_ story," he said, his voice cracking. My worry for him only grew stronger. Having always acted similarly to a sister to all my friends, it was in my nature to be very protective of my friends, and right now, my closest friend needed my help; that was painfully obvious. I wanted to know what was going on… but part of me was scared too. The Hoagie I remembered must have been hit really hard to turn into the cripple boy sitting next to me. He had never been this serious before, and my mind wandered to the scar on his wrist, which brought on an all-new level of worry.

"Good thing Abby's got time, then," I said. He groaned a little but looked at me.

"I don't know…" he said, and I saw the fear in his eyes, "I don't want you to get involved in this. I spent so much of my time insuring you wouldn't…"

"Hoagie, Abby needs to know," I stated. He sighed again and buried his face in his hands, an action that the old Hoagie would never have performed.

"Fine… I… I'll tell you…"


End file.
